The death toll from the traffic disaster in the Ulyanovsk region has risen to 16. Most of the victims were in a minibus that became trapped between two large trucks on the highway linking Novospasskoye and Nikolaevka.
Officials confirmed that 15 people in the minibus and one person in a heavy truck died as a result of the collision. Three others were hospitalized, with one subsequently released for outpatient care, according to a statement from emergency services cited by TASS.
Alexei Russkikh, governor of the Ulyanovsk region, earlier told Telegram followers that medical teams at Nikolaev regional hospital were actively trying to save the lives of the three survivors. He noted that two men and one woman were in serious condition and that all necessary medical measures were in place. Plans were being made to transfer the patients to the regional trauma center located in Ulyanovsk for specialized care, according to his update.
A source from the emergency room told TASS that there may still be people inside the van. Initially, the car carried 18 passengers, and there were unverified reports that some occupants may be citizens of Kazakhstan.”
Police indicated that the truck driver failed to slow down in time, colliding with a minibus that was wedged between another truck after a rear-end incident on a repaired stretch of road. The regional ministry of internal affairs confirmed that all reported fatalities and injuries were adults, and investigators described the driver of the heavy truck as having died at the scene.
The driver of the second truck involved was also killed, according to officials. In parallel, the regional Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case and dispatched investigators and forensic teams to the scene to conduct urgent investigative actions and scene processing. The committee’s regional press service confirmed the initiation of a criminal case and stated that investigators would pursue all essential inquiries related to the incident.
Eyewitness Nina Zotova, speaking to socialbites.ca, recounted witnessing the crash while traveling from Syzran toward the Penza region. She described a long line of vehicles on a certain section of the M5 highway, noting that drivers briefly moved into the oncoming lane to pass through road repairs before the situation escalated. Zotova claimed that as vehicles climbed a mountain, some began traveling along the roadside and onto adjacent fields. Emergency vehicles soon appeared, including fire engines, and a flatbed truck was seen among the other large vehicles. A police officer was nearby, taking notes as the scene unfolded, and the traffic jam stretched for miles.
She estimated that the victims were not visible on the roadside in the moments following the collision, and she recalled that an ambulance arrived roughly 300 to 500 meters away as her vehicle resumed its course.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the sequence of events that led to the crash, including reviewing road conditions and driver actions in the moments before impact. The incident adds to a troubling pattern observed in recent months, as traffic-related deaths have drawn heightened attention from regional safety authorities and emergency responders. In a broader context, traffic statistics released earlier in the year highlighted the ongoing risk on the nation’s roadways, with thousands of lives lost and many more injured in various regions. These figures have spurred calls for intensified enforcement of speed limits, better road maintenance, and more proactive safety campaigns aimed at reducing the severity of collisions.